Organizers who used to boast of creating the best platform for trade in IT products have also realized that educating people on importance and usage of ICT products and services is key to making the masses IT enabled.[break]
President of Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) Suresh K. Karna said, “As long as people don’t value the product, offers and special discounts will not work for the company’s sustainable business.”
Global brands like Samsung, Apple, Nokia are spending millions of dollar on research and development. Local companies and dealers’ budget for Nepal may not be huge. but interacting with customers and sharing with them unique features of the product at an event like this can encourage people to use such products.
Advancement in technology has made the competition tougher. Today, everything is about smart technology while the basic features more or less remain the same. Companies are working hard on branding and packaging in recent times to stand out in the market.
A person having a smartphone may not necessarily look for a storage device like USB or hard drive. The latest phone today features high resolution camera, easy browsing and multimedia that easily replaces the need of digital camera, iphone or even a computer.
Karna said, “In this edition, there are chances that products like pen-drive may not attract much crowd as people are willing to find out latest developments and products.” He further said the exhibitors should be able to persuade visitors on the application of the product and its unique features.
Managing Director of Explore Asia - title sponsor of the event - Ajay Sadewra said events like this are basically a branding opportunity for the company. “Being a businessman, I really don’t mind if such events completely stop trading and simply focus on branding alone,” he said.
Understanding the will of exhibitors like Sadewra, CAN has for the first time separated stalls for branding from trading. A special pavilion with 39 stalls is being used by different companies for the sole motive of branding.
IT training and education institutes are also on the same page as the gadget exhibitors when it comes to raising awareness.
Lord Buddha Education Foundation (LBEF), which was offering attractive discounts on its courses last year, is completely focusing on counseling students about career prospects in IT. Pankaj Jalan, director of LBEF, said, “Discounts can be offered in the beginning of any semester but the platform like this should be used to address the queries of students.”
Customers at CAN Info-Tech have not hesitated to complain about poor quality products in the past. Some companies also fooled customers in the name of attractive discounts.
The power solution provider S.Power is distributing free leaflets with information on what kind of UPS suits specific requirements. “We have developed a chart that customers can use to decide as to which product to buy,” Murari Mohan Jha at S.Power said.
The chart also provides information on how long the battery should be charged and what sort of products can be powered with UPS.
Organizers said although it is difficult to monitor each and every product, this year we have tried to make sure that customers don’t feel cheated.
“The Info-Tech is a brand now. People don’t blame the company but they blame us if something goes wrong,” General Secretary of CAN Narayan Neupane said, stressing the need to maintain the brand name by avoiding participation of non-branded products.
Targeting to decentralize ICT access
CAN Info-Tech, which was limited to the capital since 1995, has started expanding to other cities including Biratnagar, Hetauda, Narayangarh, Dang, Nepalgunj and Kavre.
CAN, which has its branches in 54 districts, is planning to organize similar expos in the remaining districts. CAN has been organizing workshops and seminars too to create awareness about the ICT sector among the people living outside the capital.
The Info-Tech expos, which are being organized outside the capital, are not only helping local dealers grow their business but also helping people of rural areas update themselves with changing technology.
“There is still a lot that ICT can do, especially in rural areas, to make a difference in the lives of people living there,” Karna said.
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